Labels

Thursday, 18 July 2013

July 19 Mangal Pandey birthday

The First War of
Independence (1857-58) was the first general widespread uprising against
the rule of the British East India Company. The Doctrine of Lapse,
issue of cartridges greased with animal fat to Indian soldiers,
introduction of British system of education and a number of social
reforms had infuriated a very wide section of the Indian people, who
rose in revolt at a number of places all over India. The East India
Company was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown as a
result of this uprising.

Of
the very large number of freedom fighters, who led the struggle, four
are being commemorated through the present series, which is a part of
the larger series on India's Struggle for Freedom.

Mangal Pandey, a resident of Ballia, in Uttar
Pradesh, was a soldier in the army of the British East India Company.
At the time of the First War of Independence, the company introduced new
rifles, which used animal fat for greasing the cartridges. Influenced
by the example of his compatriots in Berhampur, Mangal Panday refused to
use the greased cartridges and broke into open mutiny on March 29,
1857, at Barrackpore near Calcutta and urged his comrades to join him.

Surrounded by guards and European Officers,
he tried to commit suicide by shooting himself and was seriously
wounded. He was court-martialled on April 6, and hanged at Barrackpore
on April 8, 1857.

Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department is
privileged to issue four commemorative stamps in the memory of these
great Freedom Fighters.